Depression is a debilitating mental health condition, typically resulting in feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. One of the first steps in addressing depression is recognizing the signs and symptoms.

People struggling with depression experience a range of psychological and physical symptoms including loss of interest in activities, social withdrawal, feelings of worthlessness and difficulty concentrating. Symptoms may also be accompanied by changes in eating and sleeping patterns as well as self-harm and/or suicide attempts.

The stigma associated with mental health often deters people from seeking professional help. Depression is, however, a treatable condition.  Treatment strategies typically includes a combination of medication, psychotherapy and lifestyle changes.

Research has found that antidepressant medications play an important role in the management of depressive symptoms. Antidepressant medications are the most commonly used treatment for depression. These medications work by altering the levels of chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
It is important to note that medications can cause serious side effects and must be closely monitored by the treating medical professional. Antidepressant medications are just one part of treating depression. Professional psychotherapy can often be very effective in reducing or eliminating depressive symptoms.

Professional psychotherapy, commonly known as 'talk therapy', involves creating a non-judgmental and safe environment in which the individual can explore his or her inner thoughts and feelings. The therapist might help the individual to recognize and address destructive thought patterns, explore triggers and find root causes to their depression, develop new coping strategies, and identify lifestyle changes.

The first consideration in lifestyle changes is often the inclusion of exercise. Excersise is known to release endorphins which has a positive impact on mood. It is thus helpful to find enjoyable physical activities such as swimming, cycling, hiking or walking to include into a routine. Another lifestyle change to consider is the inclusion of pleasurable of meaningful activities into the daily schedule. Doing something enjoyable can aid in distracting from negative thoughts and provide a sense of pleasure or accomplishment. Finally,  having social support and engaging in social interactions is useful in combatting feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Should you or someone you know be struggling with depression, reach out for professional assistance. Treatment is available to address the symptoms thereby allowing for a productive and fulfilling life. Psychotherapy bookings are available on the following link: https://calendly.com/ushmitanana

Nothing seemed more important in that moment. The rest of the world, as she knew it, faded into the background. ‘Just one more’ she reasoned. Disengaging from the noisy clutter of well-intentioned warnings, she succumbed to the urge and stared directly into the face of addiction.

Compulsive shopping, eating, gambling, pornography, drugs and alcohol are just a sample of the many faces of addiction. Addiction has been known to traverse boundaries of gender, ethnicity and social class. Its devastating impact on the individual and on society in general sparked an interest in the identification of related risk factors. Studies have since found an association between negative early life experiences and addictive personalities.

Research findings suggest that individuals who experience difficult or challenging childhoods do not internalize the ability to regulate emotion. In other words, having been exposed to invalidating environments, these individuals have not had the opportunity to have their feelings understood and contained by a nurturing caregiver. As a result, their own capacity to self-soothe becomes compromised. Furthermore, they also learn to believe that emotional support will not be readily available when needed and thus resort to suppressing their emotions. During stressful periods in life, these individuals find it difficult to tolerate intense emotion and tend to seek temporary relief in the form of food, drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, etc.
​
In the context of a supportive therapeutic environment, individuals can safely navigate the treacherous waters of their pasts and begin to uncover and express previously hidden emotions. Furthermore, they can also gain insight into the reasons that made it necessary for them to rely on self-defeating coping mechanisms. In so doing, individuals develop self-compassion and fundamentally change the way in which they relate to themselves and to others thereby liberating themselves from the grip of addiction.
 
References
Shaghaghy, F., Saffarinia, M., Iranpoor, M., & Soltnynejad. A. (2011). The relationship of early maladaptive schemas, attributional styles and learnt helplessness among addicted and non-addicted men. Addiction & Health, 3(1), 45-52

Choosing a suitable career is one of the most important decisions made in young adulthood. It is a decision which has far-reaching consequences in terms of job satisfaction, future employability and quality of life. Given the significance of this decision, it can be experienced as a stressful and daunting event for both school children and parents alike.

Psychometric testing, in the form of a career assessment, can help to improve self-understanding and to alleviate some of the anxiety associated with having to make a lifelong career decision. The assessment process is holistic in that it includes an evaluation of the individual’s skill-sets, interests, values and personality traits. Standardized tests are administered in order to evaluate each area of functioning and results are integrated to inform career recommendations.  Assessment results provide an indication of the match between individuals’ profiles and various working environments.

As indicated above, accurate self-understanding is considered to be a key component in the career decision-making process. Useful questions in career counselling include the following:

• What are my strengths, skills, and talents?
• What type of work environment would I prefer?
• What comes easily to me that others tend to struggle with?
• Would I prefer to work with objects and machinery or with people?
• What are my values and motivating factors?
• How important is creativity and spontaneity in my ideal job role?
• Would I prefer a role which provides a constant challenge or would I prefer one which can be easily mastered?

In addition to self-exploration, career decision-making typically includes an evaluation of potential job markets. An awareness of the professions which are in demand and the fields which are saturated is crucial in being able to make informed career decisions. Furthermore, job requirement and employment opportunity research within the context of foreign markets can also useful. Incorporating such information into the career decision-making process is likely to improve one’s chances of being able to participate in the global economy.

Research on the importance of engaging in a ‘professionally and personally satisfying career’ has gained prominence in recent years. Apart from enhanced life satisfaction, findings suggest that career fulfilment also contributes to improved work performance. Similarly, the converse is noted in that job stress is associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. As such, the development of a fulfilling career can be considered to be an important factor not only in realizing one’s full potential but also in maintaining one’s mental well-being.

Considering the long-term implications of choosing a particular career, there is no doubt that one’s decision should be carefully thought through. A career assessment can thus be viewed as an investment in one’s future. For further information on career assessments or subject choice assessments please contact Ushmita Nana (Counselling Psychologist) on 0716854902. Alternatively, bookings can be made via the following email: info@unanapsych.co.za

References
1. Shmailan, A. (2016). The relationship between job satisfaction, job performance and employee engagement: An explorative study. Issues in Business Management and Economics, 4(1), 1-8   

Anger management seems to be a common reason for clients seeking therapy. Perhaps you too are fighting a battle with anger.  Anger may sometimes ‘win’ resulting in hurtful things being said or done, only to be regretted at a later stage.  
 
Commonly referred to as a secondary emotion, anger serves to protect one against having to experience a primary emotion. It can be understood as an iceberg - the tip is generally visible from the ocean surface but a large portion of the iceberg goes unnoticed beneath the ocean line. The expression of anger, like the tip of the iceberg, is readily available for all to experience and to recognize. Beneath the anger, however, there exists a myriad of emotions which remains unexpressed and avoided. Fear, sadness, worry, hurt, shame, rejection, and disappointment are but a few of the many unbearable emotions which are often relegated to the underworld. These emotions are not only avoided but are also re-packaged and presented as anger.
 
For example, Sandy indicated that she experienced difficulty in being able to control her anger in the presence of her terminally ill mother. She spoke about being ‘short-tempered’ and ‘irritable’. Sandy explained that she had always shared a close relationship with her mother and could therefore not understand her behaviour, especially in her mother’s time of need. Sandy slowly uncovered and explored the emotions beneath her anger and soon began to recognize a sense of fear. Sandy was terrified at the thought of losing her mother. However, having been raised to view fear as a sign of weakness, Sandy had repackaged her fear and instead presented it as anger. With this increased insight, Sandy hesitantly allowed herself to begin to experience and to share her vulnerability and through this process she was able to reconnect with her mother. 
​
One’s ability to recognize anger as a protective emotion can open new avenues for understanding oneself and for communicating with others. Constantly being curious about the primary emotion being defended against, will enable one to view potentially volatile situations from alternative perspectives. Defensiveness can be replaced with empathy and attack can be exchanged for compassion.

I sat captivated in the moment as the sun set against the calm waters…cushioned in the comfort of the white sand, I surrendered to the serenity of the moment. Completely in awe, I merged and become one with the elements of nature – such is the Power of the Present.

The splendour of the current moment seems to have been lost in modern day society as we plod through life constantly worrying about the past or anticipating the future. Rarely do we pause to acknowledge and appreciate the present. Evidence of this can be found in our daily lives. How often have you tuned into your favourite radio station only to realize a while later that your mind is pre-occupied elsewhere? Perhaps you have noticed that instead of focussing on a particular television programme your thoughts have drifted to an earlier conversation. During a meeting or a lecture, you may find yourself thinking about other tasks which need to be completed. In today’s world, we are constantly focussed on our pasts, on our futures, on our worries, on our thoughts - the list is endless. Sadly, our minds seem to be everywhere but in the present moment.

Without conscious awareness, our minds tend to drift to numerous thoughts including those related to emotionally laden topics which involve anger, self-pity, stress, worry, depression, etc. The more we allow ourselves to indulge in these thoughts, the more we fuel negative emotion which increases emotional distress. By intentionally re-directing our attention away from such thoughts and toward the present moment, we have the power to decrease its negative effect on our lives and to instead pave the way for a more content and fulfilled existence.

The art of mindfulness, which dates back to ancient Buddhist tradition, involves directing of one’s attention to the present moment. Being mindful can be equated to imagining one’s thoughts as objects on a conveyer belt, watching them go by without stopping the conveyer to examine them more closely. Mindful practice allows one to view one’s thoughts from a distance, to recognize how thought patterns influence emotion and behaviour and to let go of experiences which are not useful.

The following mindfulness-based activities can be incorporated into your daily life as a means of interrupting your ‘autopilot’ mode and focussing your attention on the present:

• Engage in an activity such as yoga or tai-chi which will help you to develop an awareness of your breathing
• Take a walk or hike – listen for the sounds that you may previously have overlooked, notice the various objects in the environment (e.g. stones, insects, leaves, footsteps, plants, etc), focus on the different smells that you encounter
• Sit in silence for a few moments and pay attention only to your breathing or only to the sounds in your environment
• Choose any of your daily activities (e.g. taking a shower, making coffee, driving to work, washing the dishes) and completely immerse yourself in the activity using all your senses as opposed to rushing through the activity
• Take up an activity such as gardening and allow yourself to focus only on the task at hand

​
Mindfulness involves being aware of one’s stream of thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations whilst also making a repeated effort to bring one’s awareness back to the present moment. Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a fantasy…all we really have is the present. Immerse yourself in the Power of the Present and experience true living.

Lifelong career decisions are made as early as Grade 9 when learners are required to select school subjects. It is thus expected that, at a fairly young age, learners should know with a fair degree of certainty the career paths which they intend pursuing. In the absence of sufficient information and guidance learners are at risk of selecting subjects which may limit future career prospects.

Previous generations were encouraged to seek employment within large corporations and to remain in the same company for the duration of their working life-spans. Securing a ‘good job’ in a ‘reputable company’ was the ideal. However, with the technological evolution and the increase in number of working adults, the ideal has since changed from a focus on finding a ‘good job’ to that of developing a ‘professionally and personally satisfying career’.

Typically, learners in grade 9 are at the life stage in which they are still grappling with developmental tasks related to the formation of identity. As such, it is not uncommon for grade 9 learners to have a very limited or vague notion of what a ‘professionally and personally satisfying career’ would involve for them. Subject choice and career guidance is thus crucial. Learners would benefit from discussing their prospective subjects with teachers, family members and other knowledgeable parties before a firm decision is taken.
​
In addition to seeking advice from educators and family members, learners may also benefit from seeking guidance from a professional who is knowledgeable about the developmental stage of the learner and is trained to assist in the career decision-making process. This guidance can take the form of a subject choice assessment. The assessment typically explores aspects such as personality, aptitude and interests in order to obtain a holistic view of the learner. Findings relating to each of the above-mentioned aspects are integrated to inform subject choice recommendations.

A large proportion of adult life is spent at work. It is thus advisable to find a career that enables one to pursue one’s passion. For further information on career assessments or subject choice assessments please contact Ushmita Nana (Counselling Psychologist) on 0716854902. Alternatively, bookings can be made via the following email: info@unanapsych.co.za